BC Hydro says it is rapid testing all returning Site C workers for Covid-19 following the Christmas holidays due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
All workers are required to be fully vaccinated by Monday, Jan. 10, and BC Hydro said Thursday that every worker returning to site will be rapid tested.
“BC Hydro is strictly following Ministry of Health guidelines and has implemented a range of protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at Site C,” the company said in a statement.
“We require people to isolate if they show any symptoms as described by the BCCDC, no matter how mild. These symptoms include sneezing, sore throat, muscle aches, headaches, cough fever or difficulty breathing.”
As of Wednesday, Jan. 5, there were 528 workers reported in camp, including eight in quarantine. There are two new active Covid cases among the workforce, with another 21 workers in quarantine at home, according to BC Hydro.
Since March 1, 2020, there have been 356 cases among workers.
November employment
In an employment update, BC Hydro said there were 4,562 workers employed on the project in November.
The job count was down 71 workers from October, and down from 4,941 workers on the project in November 2020.
Of the total November 2021 workforce, one in five workers remained local, with 905 Peace region residents employed by construction and non-construction contractors, down 79 month over month.
There were 3,199 B.C. residents, or 70% of the workforce, working for construction and non-construction contractors, and in engineering and project team jobs, according to the report.
BC Hydro reported 162 apprentices for the month, down from 168 in October, as well as 356 indigenous workers (-28), and 482 women (-13) working on the project.
There was one temporary foreign worker employed in a specialized position, BC Hydro said, and another 32 managers and other professionals working under the federal international mobility program.
Email Managing Editor Matt Preprost at editor@ahnfsj.ca
